So I have an adviser for my thesis, and now I just need to find a second reader! :D
I have a meeting tomorrow to see how to narrow my topic down, and to pick a case study to focus on. I am really looking forward to it!
I also have an email out to the head of the program because my stats professor put a grade up. And I got like a 46 out of 100 which in US terms is clearly a fail. But then it says a 3.3 out of a 5 which is like a C or D.
I don't think I failed because a bunch of students in my program did and they got emails about it a while ago.
To be fair, because I know my mom is probably panicking that I failed math ;) , everyone in the class had problems with this teacher's style of teaching. I'm also not sure if this grade is the attendance/ participation grade or our final test grade?
Because there is like no participation in the class, he hands out worksheets and we do it. Sometimes we go over it. That's about it.
I'd also like to put this video up. This is what mine and Irena's action research project was about! We assisted in creating this workshop. And to add some AWESOME updates since then Susie already has 2 more workshops coming up in refugee centers, and more people to help her!
Hallochen! Yesterday it was such a lovely day! (80+!!!) So of course we had to take advantage of the weather, because in Berlin the weather never stays consistent! We ended up in Görlitzer Park, which is located in Kreuzberg. The park is definitly something that everyone should see, however be careful. The park kinda stinks like weed, and there is a LOT of drug deals going down. But other then that it's a place for families and lounging around enjoying the weather!! From there we walked to Friedrichshain to the Oberbaumbruecke. Aka the most beautiful bridge in Berlin. It borders Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain and goes over the Spree River. (AND I ACTUALLY TOOK PICTURES.)
I would like to add the girl in the selfies is my favorite Norwegian (Irena) And we haven't yet mastered selfiying, but it's getting there. -- Also the AR project is going good so far, been very busy! We had a workshop and we had 8 participants, and 2 were actually Syrian refugees and another one was from Afghanistan! 4 of the girls came from people we knew in class. --- For my Thesis I need an adviser (Has to be a professor from ASH), but I also need a Reader. The Reader has to have a master's in a field relevant to my topic, and they need to send me their CV so I can pass it along to the school. All they would do I believe, is read my paper and give me a grade. They don't even need to correct it or anything, just read and give a grade. My adviser will be the one helping me with it, correcting it, etc. My topic I believe, is going to be on Islam and the rise of Muslim activists in the USA, or Civil Rights violations against Muslims by the US government. -- On Saturday I'm taking a daytrip with two girls in my class to Spreewald/Luebennau to hike and rent a canoe. Look how pretty it is! It will be a nice break from the big city and the crowds! --- I think that's it for the moment! Tschuessies!
It seems so crazy to me that Semester 1 has come to an end! :(
I already miss my professors (only one will be continuing with us to Semester 2)
One of my favorite professors actually was really excited to talk to me. His parents were from Italy and when they were immigrating to the states, the first place they went to was Proctor Vt. So he had some idea of Vermont and was pointing out the similiarities between VT and Germany. Who knew there were similarities?
Semester 1 ended with two essays, around 15 pages each. One of mine was for Diversity of Conflicts and was on the issue of food security and land grabbing in Brazil/ the issue with Fibria Celulose. The other one was for Human Rights and Socio-Political Action, on the topic of women's rights with regards to menstruation and a focus on the Chaupadi practice.
For Semester 2 most of our classes (all but one!) are focusing on our "Action Research Project."
I am very lucky to be paired up with my friend Irena and we are currently trying to decide whether to work with Clean Clothes Campaign or go a totally different route and work with an organization dealing with men at risk in different areas of their life. (Radicalization as a part of this.) The main goal of this project is to work with a group and help them identify an area on which they would like to improve in. For example, if we worked with CCC it would be helping them with the marketing and attracting more people.
We were hoping to work with an organization we found that was focused solely on the de-radicalization of girls, sadly they never responded to our emails. :(
And soon in a matter of months, we will need to have some idea of what our master thesis will be on. I really don't even want to THINK about this, but I already have some ideas. Right now I am leaning towards something to do with civil rights for Muslims in Western societies (especially the USA and Germany.) The EU has recently allowed a bill that would make it legal for Muslim women to be fired or not hired simply for wearing the hijab. (This would also effect other religious groups who wear obvious symbols of their faith such as the Sikhs and the Jewish community.***)
(In Germany right now, Merkel is trying to get the full face covering banned. In all my time in Berlin I have only seen TWO women in full Burka. )
---
I wanted to add these videos here, because it is my FAVORITE thing ever. If these aren't the epitome of everything Berlin....
BVG is the company that runs Berlin's busses/Ubahns and trams. Basically they're your best friend when DeutscheBahn (which runs the SBahns) strike. BVG has never went on strike that I know of...
--
*** My Professor ,Alissa , would not approve of me using this word, as it forces the idea that all these people feel connected somehow. So if she should ever see this post, sorry. Most of our class time with her is how this word is bad. (So I use this very loosely.)
So I thought I'd post this, because I find people's reactions funny when they find out I'm in Lichtenberg. When ASH sent out a pamphlet thing it gave us places TO look for apartments (Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg) and where TO avoid (Lichtenberg, Hellersdorf.) However, ASH isn't the only school that warns away from Lichtenberg, FU also warned against it. Why?
Lichtenberg (and Hellersdorf) are located in eastern Berlin. The east parts of Berlin, due to its past, tends to be poorer. As everyone knows, areas that tend to be poorer also tend to have more issues. One of these is that the people who live in these areas (NOT everyone obviously) tend to vote more right-wing and there also tends to be a lot of Neo-Nazis in these areas. For example, AFD**(one of the neo nazi political groups in Berlin) received most of their votes from areas like Lichtenberg and Hellersdorf.
Annnnnddd I got slightly off topic.
Anyways I'd like to share some common reactions to the question "Where do you live?" Classmate/Professor: Where do you live?
Random classmate: Friedrichshain.
Classmate/Professor:
Classmate/Professor: Where do you live?
Me: Lichtenberg,
Classmate/Professor:
Also:
And:
Can't Forget:
And this one:
AFD- Alternative für Deutschland. Alternative for Germany. One of two neo nazi political groups. The other one is more 'open' about it. AFD recruits well known neo nazi's and they magically claim to be 'reformed'. AFD went through the German courts, because people were worried they were Nazis. The court ruled that AFD was to small to be a threat. (Which, according to some of my professors, is exactly what happened with the NSDAP (Nazi Party) However it is worrying that they were voted for third most in some areas, and will no doubt recive a good amount of seats and the government. They also posted plenty of posters that said "Germany for the Germans, Turkey for the Turkish. On a side note, the mayor or assistant mayor (not sure of his exact title) was doing a tour of Hellersdorf (where my school is) and Marzahn (near Hellersdorf) and plenty of ASH students went to Marzahn to block him and refused to allow him into the school. There were posters hanging around the school that said "No flowers for the AFD."
Did he REALLY think he would get a warm welcome from a social work school?? An example of a poster:
Translation: I choose the AFD, because I know what Islam can mean, if we do not pay attention. My german friends, let us protect this great city Berlin our Home!
And the posters hanging around my school which I love <3
Translation: No flowers for the AFD! Against racism on the street and in the parliament.
I will edit this post and/ or make another one for the classes and semester two. But for now I cannot spell in English haha.
I'm not sure if my section on the AFD will show. When I preview it its whited out. Basically if it's not showing AFD= BAD.
